Oban Day 1

Our trip to Oban was a series of highs and lows. When we first got there we all walked to the hostel to check in. It was my first experience at a hostel, and my first impression was pretty positive! There were books, DVD's, a pool table, and a bunch of couches to hang out on. We dropped off some of our stuff and went on a search for some food. Kevin, Jaymie, and I walked around for what seemed like forever to find something for lunch...all the menus posted outside just seemed way more expensive than food in Edinburgh. Fish and chips was prevalent as Oban is considered to be "the seafood capital of the world." We settled on some pub food that was tucked away a bit. The food was okay, but service took forever and we were trying to catch the ferry so it was a little chaotic. The ferry ride was absolutely beautiful! I probably would have taken the ferry just for the scenery alone, again, something that looked like it was out of the movies. We passed castle ruins, a lighthouse, and so many small islands on the way to Mull. When we got off of the ferry, we walked directly to the information center across the way, not knowing that the busses we needed to get to the castle essentially coordinate with the ferry, and only come back every 2 hours or so. We were low on money, and didn't have transportation anywhere, so we asked the woman at the information desk what we could do. She said there was a marked hiking trail right down the road, and we were sold. Good, clean, (free!) fun. It was a 5k loop that took us around the interior of the town and it was amazing! We didn't pass a single soul and it was sightly rainy which created a really cool looking mist around some of the taller mountains. There were also some beautiful waterfalls and interesting plant life. We made our way back to the ferry and grabbed some takeaway in Oban before getting ready to meet up with the rest of the group at a pub across the street. We had a really good time at the pub, with a band playing an interesting(?) assortment of cover tunes all night. On our way back into the hostel that evening I attempted to have a conversation with some french speaking guys who were standing outside. I took 4 years of french in high school, and was appalled by how little I retained! Overall it was a good day, but I was a little bummed that we didn't get to see the castle on the isle of Mull.